JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 27 



June 14, when I attempted to drive the Chickadee from the first 

 nest, I was unable to do so, so I sat down a few feet away to wait 

 for developments. Soon I heard phee-bee, phce-bce in the distance. 

 The call sounded nearer and nearer. Then a faint peep came from 

 the nest. Next the plice-bec was answered by a phce-bce from the 

 nest and the sitting bird fluttered away to meet her mate. There 

 were two young just out of the egg. By afternoon all the eggs were 

 hatched, just twelve days from the time the bird began to incubate 

 the full set. 



The following scenes at the nests will illustrate the difference in 

 behavior of the two Chickadee families toward an observer. June 

 23, I visited the nest, in the grove on my way to the more distant 

 nest. As I attempted to look into the nest, the young bird on top 

 uttered a sound, something between a hiss and a very small explo- 

 sion of gunpowder. It was so unexpected and given with such 

 force that I jumped. While I waited near, the parent birds came 

 with food. The male (as I supposed) refused to do anything but 

 scold during the time that I remained. The female brought food 

 twice, and carried away ordure once, but she acted with such trepi- 

 dation that I soon withdrew. 



At the latter nest, the little birds opened their beaks for food, 

 and called and quivered as they do when the parents bring them 

 nourishment. These young birds never seemed to possess the same 

 sense of fear that the birds in the dark, close nest acquired. Soon 

 after I came to the pasture nest, I heard not far away peep, very 

 faintly ; again peep, a little nearer; then phee-bec just above the nest. 

 The parent bird had come with a long caterpillar and several moths 

 in her beak. These she fed the nestlings and hurried away. The 

 mate brought two moths at least, in his bill. Thus they came and 

 went constantly. When both met above the nest, they flirted their 

 tails, fluttered their wings and quivered all over in an ecstasy of 

 delight. The parent birds were always a-tremble when they entered 

 the nest. 



June 26, the young birds in the house in the poplar stump were 



